Crispy Berbere-Spiced Chicken With Ethiopian-Style Lentils And Greens

Take your chicken out of the fridge, open the packet and let it air, then pat the chicken thighs dry with kitchen paper and season them with half your berbere seasoning (you'll use the rest later!) and a pinch of salt

Heat a large, wide-based pan (preferably non-stick and with a matching lid) over a medium-high heat and once hot, add the seasoned chicken, skin-side down and cook for 7-8 min or until the skins have browned and crisped

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 220°C/ 200°C (fan)/ gas 7 and boil a kettle

Peel and finely dice half your brown onion[s]

Slice the remaining onion finely

Chop your tomatoes finely

Drain and rinse your green lentils

Once the chicken skin has crisped, transfer the browned chicken to a baking paper-lined tray and reserve the pan

Put the tray in the oven and cook for 25-30 min or until cooked through (no pink meat!) – this is your crispy berbere chicken

Return the reserved pan to a medium heat

Once hot, add the diced onion with a pinch of salt and cook for 3-4 min or until softened

Rip the leaves off your spring greens, discard the tough stalks, then layer the leaves over each other, roll them up and slice into thin strips

Wash the sliced spring greens then pat dry with kitchen paper

Once softened, add your ginger & garlic paste with the remaining berbere seasoning, the ground smoked paprika, drained green lentils and chopped tomatoes

Cook for 2 min or until fragrant

Once fragrant, add 450ml [675ml] [900ml] boiled water with your chicken stock mix, tomato paste and a generous pinch of salt

Bring to the boil over a high heat

Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium and cook, covered, for 15-20 min, stirring occasionally, until all the water is absorbed and the lentils are tender – these are your Ethiopian-style lentils

Reboil half a kettle

Meanwhile, heat a large, wide-based pot with a drizzle of vegetable oil over a medium heat

Once hot, add the sliced onion and cook for 3-4 min or until softened

Peel and finely slice (don't chop!) your garlic

Once softened, add the sliced garlic and sliced spring greens with 150ml [195ml] [250ml] boiled water and cook for 10-12 min or until very tender – these are your braised greens